Thursday, April 28, 2016

The last time Piper Ross saw her best friend's sexy older brother, Jase Simmons, he was being taken away in handcuffs. Seven years later, two things haven't changed: Piper is still head-over-heels in love with him . . . and Forrestville's chief of police—Piper's dad—still hates his guts. So when Piper sees a chance to get close to Jase, she makes her move—literally. As his new roommate, and as the office manager of his tattoo shop, Piper won't be satisfied until Jase knows that she wants to be his.

The quintessential good girl, Piper is pure temptation for Jase. The only reason he's always kept his distance is because she's the last person he'd ever want to hurt. But once he realizes that Piper is ready to take the leap, everything just makes sense. Suddenly Jase feels like a new man—until nasty rumors start swirling and Piper's heartless father stirs up even more trouble. Now Jase must convince Piper that she wasn't wrong about him . . . because falling in love never felt so right.

When We Fall is the second book in Marquita Valentine's Take the Fall series but can be read as a standalone. I haven't read Take the Fall and didn't feel as though I was missing anything in Jase and Piper's story. This was the first book that I've read by this author and definitely look forward to reading more from her.

When We Fall is a sweet, heartfelt read with JUST enough drama to hold your attention throughout the story. I thought that Piper and Jase were relatable and likable (even when Jase was trying to push Piper away). There was WAY more to Piper than the "quintessential good girl" persona that her (AWFUL) family showed to the world. Yes, she was kind and forgiving, BUT she stood up for herself too. Piper is just what Jase needed in this transition into his new life out of prison. Piper showed him love and understanding when Jase doesn't feel that he deserves such a gift.

I loved that the author gave us both Jase's and Piper's POV throughout the book. I think it was the character development that stole my heart in this story. It showed their inner thoughts on their relationship and how they tackled the obstacles in their way to their Happily-ever-after.

Rating: 4 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

Monday, April 25, 2016

Welcome to Dulcet, Texas, home of the legendary Briscoe Ranch Resort, where one woman will discover that even love is bigger in the Lone Star State.

Celebrity wedding planner Remedy Lane is Hollywood royalty—until a scandal sends her packing to the wilds of Texas. She has a knack for leaving disaster in her wake, but she’s determined to reboot her career at Briscoe Ranch, a luxury resort known for extravagant weddings. Little does she know that weddings don’t happen at the resort without the approval of the town’s cowboy-swaggering, too-hot-for-his-own-good fire chief, Micah Garrity.

ONE HOT SUMMER

Micah knows trouble when he sees it, and all it takes is one glimpse of Remedy’s princess airs for him to know he’s met his match. Too bad he can’t stop thinking about her—even when she brings about one disaster after another at the resort. He and Remedy clash at every turn, but they can’t stop the sparks flying between them. They come from such different worlds—does love stand a chance or will this fire burn too hot for either of them to handle?

One Hot Summer is the first book in Melissa Culter's One and Only Texas series. This is also the first book I've read by this author and I am definitely looking forward to reading more from her. Ms. Culter brings us to the town of Dulcet, Texas, home of the Briscoe Ranch Resort where the stuff of wedding dreams are made possible to the rich and famous.

Remedy Lane was a wedding planner to the stars before a scandal caused her to lose her job in Hollywood. She thinks the Briscoe Ranch Resort is the perfect place to lick her wounds and rebuild her reputation so she can return home with her head held high. What she doesn't know is that NOTHING happens at the ranch without the fire marshall's approval and when she meets Micah for the first time, another type of spark ignites between the two.

Micah Garrity can't stand the entitlement that goes along with wealthy people. He knows trouble when he sees it, and Remedy Lane has trouble written all over her California tan. But the more Micah is around her, the more he comes to realize that (maybe) there is more to Remedy than meets the eye, and soon, he can't keep his hands off her.

One Hot Summer is a sweet, opposites-attract story. I LOVED that (while she was from money) Remedy was really relatable and sweet. Remedy and Micah brought out the best in each other. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series, One More Taste.

Rating: 4 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Security Company CEO Josh Slater put his life on hold when he said “I do” to protect a stranger. While his marriage was never meant to be real—he hasn’t even seen his wife in five years—Josh can’t shake the idea that he’d be cheating if he moves on. Now he’s a man with a mission: chase down his “wife,” get an annulment, and finally indulge in a little no-strings sex.

Heiress Alexia Slater entered into a marriage of convenience straight out of high school to gain control of her inheritance before her not-so loving family squandered the whole thing. She doesn’t want the marriage to be real—she’s fought hard for her independence—but that hasn’t stopped her from spending the last five years fantasizing about her gorgeous husband.

Then he shows up.

Josh wants an annulment. Lexi needs to stay married. When the chemistry explodes between them, there’s no stopping the battle of wills only one of them can win…

Her Fantasy Husband in Nina Croft's Things to do Before You Die series. I haven't read His Fantasy Girl, but I plan on going back and reading it (when I have the time!!)

I LOVED the premise of this book. Three friends are stranded in a life boat after the cruise ship they are on has an accident. While floating at sea, each of these men make a pact to do ONE thing that they really, really want to do. And for Josh Slater, that is to indulge in some no-strings sex.

First he needs to get an annulment from his "wife". But what should be a quickie end to a marriage that was NEVER real, turns into much more than this security expert ever expected to handle when he sees his "wife" for the first time in five years.

Alexia (Lexi) Slater agreed to get married to gain control of her inheritance. And over the past five years Alexia has done great things with her money (no thanks to her HORRIBLE grandmother that only wants the money for herself). She only has 6 more months until her 24th birthday and then her family can't try to gain access to the money. So when her "husband" shows up out of the blue, demanding an annulment, Lexi HAS to convince Josh to give her those 6 months that were originally agreed upon.

And after one night, an annulment is no longer an option and these two have to come to some decisions to make. Lexi NEEDS six more months of marriage and Josh wants a divorce so he can indulge in some no-strings-sex. So why not combine the two desires together....

The ONLY reason I didn't give this book 4 stars is because I have a hard time believing a man like Josh going 5 years without sex because he was "married". I COMPLETELY understood Lexi's motivations behind her decision/need to remain married for the agreed upon time (AND her lack of experience), but Josh... I didn't understand it. I also wouldn't really have blamed him for it since he literally was trying to help a complete stranger.

Overall, I really enjoyed Her Fantasy Husband and look forward to more in this series.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her...and River is in danger of drowning a second time.

No one believed Hook’s resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he’ll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he’s worth their love in the process―even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.

But even as River's body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time...

Easton Ambrose has spent half his life protecting Natalie St. Clair from guys like himself. It’s not like he wants to interfere with her dating life, but what’s he supposed to do when she insists on going out with the wrong kind of guy? Kiss her, of course. But now she's pissed. And what starts as an apology turns to heated words...then just to heat.

Jumping East was the worst idea in the history of ideas. The guy is Natalie’s older brother’s best friend, the definition of off limits. But she’s tired of the safe guys who couldn’t light a fire with a flamethrower. Time for a little dangerous—even if dangerous always blows up in your face. Because even if they survive their bedroom antics, it’s only a matter of time before they’re caught…

AVAILABLE: April 4, 2016Search and SeduceTell Me You Need Me (Book 1) Order HereTell Me You Want Me (Book 2) Order HereTell Me You Crave Me (Book 3) Order HereTell Me You Crave Me is the third book in Joya Ryan's Search and Seduce series and the second one I've read. I read Tell Me You Want Me and I couldn't even finish the last 30 or so pages. BUT I think that Tell Me You Crave Me is a MILLION times better than the previous book.Easton Ambrose is a quintessential man-whore, and that is just the way he likes it. After the way he grew up, he doesn't let himself get to attached to anything. So his feelings for Natalie St. Clair is completely unwelcome. Her family took him in when his own left him and he doesn't want to mess that up by messing around with with Nat. So he fights his feelings for Natalie, until one night he can't.Natalie St. Claire is tired. She is tired of feeling like the whole town's "little sister". She is tired of her southern-belle mother pushing her to find a man and get married. Which lead her to some seriously BORING dates. She just wants to make her cupcake shop a success and enjoy her life. It was during one of these boring dates that East comes to her rescue. Only her "rescue" turns into fighting with Easton, which turns into going at it in her cupcake shop.

Expectations, from themselves and others, keep these two from expressing how they feel (and have felt) about each other. Will they be able to move past them in order to REALLY be together? Or will they succumb to the preconceived notions that people expect from them?

Rating: 4 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

BOOM. That’s the sound that changes everything for Dr. Gina Sullivan, a renowned ornithologist on a group research grant trip on the remote island of Attu, Alaska. When an everyday outing turns sinister at the onset of one of Attu’s infamous storms, Gina expects thunder and lightning—but what she doesn’t see coming is the small jet plane that drops out of the sky and into the water mere feet from her boat. Even more unprecedented: there’s a sole survivor from the crash, and he needs Gina’s help. But it turns out that rescuing the stranger and getting them both out of the oncoming storm is just the beginning. Because the more Gina learns about James “Cal” Callahan, he of brooding eyes and muscled frame, the more she fears—for herself, and for him.

Cal has made a career of trading on government secrets and emerging unscathed—until a routine pickup goes horribly wrong and lands him in ice-cold water. Literally. He knows the plane crash was no accident and that there could very well be an enemy force currently combing the Alaskan island ensuring there were no survivors. Now if only the arrestingly beautiful bird-watcher with the clear-blue gaze would stop watching him, well, like a hawk. Cal convinces Gina to return to base camp and help him covertly get off the island. But when Gina makes it safely back to camp and finds her entire team murdered, all bets are off, and as darkness envelops the island, she must decide: trust a man she barely knows, or go it alone and risk running straight into the arms of a killer?

AVAILABLE: March 29, 2016

Karen Robards' Darkness grabs your attention from the very first page and doesn't let you go till the end. Dr. Gina Sullivan is on the remote island of Attu, Alaska with a small group of researchers when she witnesses a small plane crash into the water nearby. Searching to see if there are any survivors, she comes across James "Cal" Callahan, the only survivor. But what was supposed to be a simple rescue turned into so more for Gina.

Cal doesn't know if he can trust bird-watching Gina. Was she put on this island to ensure that the plane crash was successful in killing everyone on board. Or is what she is telling Cal true, that she (and a small group) are there on a research grant.

But when Gina finally makes it back to camp and discovers most of her group murdered, will she be able to put her trust into the mysterious Cal or will she go it alone?

Darkness was a fast-paced, action-packed, steamy suspense romance. I really enjoyed this book. My only wish for this book is that I wish the ending was a little... more. I felt that once the "suspense" part of this romantic suspense story was finished, the "romance" part just ended. I wish the relationship between Cal and Gina was explored a little more at the end (in an epilogue or some way).

Rating: 4 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

Monday, April 4, 2016

Three went in; one came out. For five years, no trace has been found of two high-school friends who went hiking in the woods near Nashville. The third teen, Amber Ryder, was discovered at the bottom of a ravine with a broken arm, head trauma--and zero memory of the horror that put her there.

Will Put You

What started as a cold case has become a fresh hell for forensic technician Georgia Morgan. Another woman's body is found in the woods, and it leads to the missing teens' remains. But while Georgia works with Amber to try and reawaken her memories, her gut tells her the worst is yet to come.

At A Killer's Mercy

Homicide Detective Jake Bishop can't be sure whether Amber is an expert manipulator or the killer's next target. Either way, he's determined to protect Georgia. Because the deeper she digs into the past, the deadlier the secrets that emerge, and a nightmare years in the making is about to come to a bloody, terrifying end…

Vulnerable is the fourth book in Mary Burton's Morgans of Nashville series. Each book can be read as a standalone and focuses on a different Morgan sibling. In Vulnerable, sex, greed, and murder take a front row seat as Georgia Morgan and homicide detective Jake Bishop work to solve a five year cold case.

Five years ago, three teenagers went into the woods for a science project and only one came out. Amber Ryder is the only survivor and has no memory of the events that took place in the woods and what happened to her two friends. Forensic technician Georgia Morgan has been assigned to look into cold cases with the help of Homicide Detective Jake Bishop. And when a discovery of a missing girl leads to finding the two missing teens from 5 years ago leads to more questions being asked. What REALLY happened in the woods 5 years ago? Is Amber really telling the truth about what happened or did the head trauma she suffered really cause memory loss? Was she really a victim, or something worse?

With a killer determined to bury the past, Jake and Georgia must work together to discover what really happened 5 years ago.

The reason why I am giving this book a less than 3 rating is because I found it to be VERY predictable and for a "romantic suspense", this book was really lacking in the "romance" department. I liked Georgia and Jake. Georgia is very smart and dedicated to her job and family and Jake is a good cop and man. I think there was so much potential with the romance between these two characters, but I found it lacking. If this would of been just a "thriller", I probably would of rated Vulnerable a little higher. But again, I pretty much figured out the "who" and "what" about a quarter of the way in.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

It’s on, the storm of the century, trapping Ana and Ash up in a mountain cabin. The snowplows don’t need to worry about their road. They melt the snow all on their own. But after the storm ends, can this “fake” romance survive reality, the harshest test of all?

Ash

The world already hates me for being a player. Now I’m a kidnapper, too.

I drove off with Ana while she was drunk as a skunk after a New Year’s party in Vegas. She didn’t exactly say she wanted to go away with me. In fact, when we last spoke she seemed pretty interested in quitting me. Then she passed out.

But that’s exactly why I need to get her away from it all, the celebrities and parties and cameras always flashing at us from all angles. I need to get her up into the mountains where I have a private cabin. Very private.

It’s just my dumb luck that we got snowed in. For days.

You remember show and tell in school? I’m not so good at the tell. But the show? That’s all me.

Now I have Ana all to myself, shielded from prying eyes, in our own private world. I can show her pleasure she’s never known before. She can let go of all of her inhibitions. No one will ever know.

I have days on end to show Ana exactly what she means to me, how I feel about her, and I won’t stop until she believes me. Or she’s melted into a puddle of orgasms. Or both. I’m starting to like the sound of both.

Ana

New Year’s Day I woke up in a mountain cabin with Ash Black, nothing but the sound of the wind and snow falling thick all around us. There’s nothing I’ve been more afraid of than this. Just us, no distractions, no paparazzi, no interfering agents or crazed fans. All that noise made it easier to hide from the feelings building up inside of me. I’m terrified of the way he makes me feel, the way I’m falling for him so hard.

But now he has me alone, snowed in, at his amazing mountain cabin. He’s all muscle and sex. His voice alone makes me wet. One touch sends me reeling, and he seems to sense and want to unlock all of my most secret fantasies, the ones I haven’t even admitted to myself I want.

This romance is fake. I keep telling myself that. I can’t really trust him. This is all pretend.

But then he pulls me close, presses a hand to the small of my back, kisses my throat and whispers low and wicked in my ear, “Let yourself go.” How am I supposed to say no to that?

NOTE: Undone is a three-volume hot adult romance. It’s the second story in the Beg for It series about the dominant, alpha males in Ash’s family and the strong, sexy women who make them finally meet their match.

Once again, Undone: Volume 3 begins right where Volume 2 ends. Ash is whisking (or kidnapping, tomato/to-mah-toe) Ana away to his secluded cabin in the mountains. It's not his fault that the snowstorm of the century is on it's way, leaving them snowed-in from the outside world. Now Ash has EXACTLY what he wants. Completely uninterrupted time to SHOW Ana what she has become to mean to him.

But as the snow begins to melt and reality comes back, did Ash have enough time to convince Ana that what they have together is REAL and that they aren't just wrapped up in the moment?

I fell in LOVE with Ash throughout this story. He stated off as an arrogant (yet, endearing) ass, but grew as a person and artist all thanks to Ana. I also LOVED that while maybe he wasn't the best at SAYING how he felt, he had no problem expressing them in other ways to Ana. Ash didn't back away from how he felt and, honestly, I thought that was really refreshing to read about an alpha-male that recognized that he has completely fallen for a woman. And the lengths he would go to to prove his love to her.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

**I received an ARC through GossipGirl PR in exchange for a honest review.**

Josie DuKane is on shaky ground. Having narrowly escaped the notorious Bride Killer, she penned a tell-all memoir that dug up a town’s dark past. Now the book is being made into a movie, and Josie must visit the very place that will trigger an avalanche of unwanted memories—Graveyard Falls. On the heels of her arrival, she receives a gruesome photograph of a dead woman with talon marks carved into her face. And worse, Josie just might be the next victim.

Torn between guilt, justice, and revenge, Special Agent Dane Hamrick will do anything to find the man who brutally murdered his sister. When he realizes the recent tragedies in Graveyard Falls bear an uncanny resemblance to her death, he volunteers to spearhead the investigation. But doing so means teaming up with Josie.

Nothing prepares him for the feelings the beautiful, tough woman evokes. As the body count rises and the suspect pool widens, Josie and Dane must put aside their growing attraction to run down the killer who devastated both their lives.

All the Pretty Faces (ORDER HERE)All the Pretty Faces is the second book in Rita Herron's Graveyard Falls series. It is also the first book that I've read by this author. Personally, I felt that I was missing a big part of the backstory with not reading All the Beautiful Brides first. This book was just okay for me. I found the main characters to be somewhat... blah. I thought the storyline and premise of All the Pretty Faces was good though.I thought the hero was standoffish (and didn't come off as the "tortured hero" as I think the author was trying to convey him to be. He was just ehh for me. Also while the heroine was more personable, I didn't think she stood out to me as a leading lady for me.

One thing that annoyed me was throughout the book the word HOSPITAL (I'm assuming) was spelled HOSPITALIC. Each and every time. I didn't know hospitalic was a word, so I googled it and Google asked me if I meant "hospice", so I have no clue what happened there between the author and editing.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

Sunday, April 3, 2016

It’s image rehab, plain and simple. A month of fake romance to convince the press that bad boy rocker Ash Black has fallen for a good girl librarian. It should be easy. It’s anything but.

AshNew York City. Vegas. Paris. A whirlwind tour for our whirlwind romance, every step, smile and kiss photographed from every angle. It’s all going according to plan, rehabbing my bad boy rock star image by falling hard for a sweet, wholesome librarian.There are all kinds of reasons to keep my hands off her. The no-sex clause in our contract. Paparazzi around every corner. She doesn’t trust me because she thinks I’m a player, and she’s right. But I’m done playing by the rules. I’m rock star Ash Black and I’ve never been good at doing what other people tell me. I’m done mugging for the cameras. I want her alone, all to myself, where the only rules are the ones I dictate. When it’s just us, there’ll be nothing fake about her begging me to let her come. I’m a musician, baby, and believe me, I’m going to savor the sound of her every pant, gasp and moan.

AnaIt’s just a show, a month-long façade. I need to keep my head in the game, my heart under wraps and my body out of reach of his wickedly talented hands. He’s not making it easy for me. Every time I watch him perform, I go weak in the knees. Every time he romances me over a candlelight dinner, I melt. And the few moments he’s caught me alone, he’s started a fire in me unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s roaring, licking, burning me up. I’m not good at pretending. And with the heat he’s building in me, I’m not sure how long I’m going to last. One month can feel like forever when you’re so close to exactly what you want but not allowed to touch it. Sooner or later, a girl has to reach out and touch.

NOTE: Undone is a three-volume hot adult romance. It’s the second story in the Beg for It series about the dominant, alpha males in Ash’s family and the strong, sexy women who make them finally meet their match.AVAILABLE: March 14, 2016

Undone: Volume 3 (ORDER HERE)I had the best of intentions to have this review AND my review for Volume 3 up early last week... But you know what happens with the best of intentions...Life decides to show up and give you a swift kick in the ass.Firstly, the townhouse where we are living sold. So we have to find a place to live and pack in less then 3 months (A whole stressful journey in and of itself) . We've had inspections the last two weeks. One inspection came back with high levels of Radon. What is Radon you ask...?? I didn't know either, but apparently it is a naturally accruing gas, that at high levels and prolonged exposure, can cause cancer. YAY!!! =/ So for two days my husband and I were trying to figure out if it was safe for all of us to even stay here. People told us that a few days won't make a difference, and to just spend most of our time upstairs. We will have people in our home ALL day Monday "treating" it.Secondly, our 8 year old cat, Hera seems to have some sort of kidney/bladder problem. We woke up to her PEEING anywhere and everywhere BUT her cat litter box. If you have never had to smell cat pee, consider yourself lucky. But on top of peeing on anything, there is some serious blood in her urine (which freaked me out)! So several hundred dollars have been spent at the vets in the last week and a half. (Her blood results SHOULD be back on Monday). My poor girl is locked in our spare bathroom so she doesn't ruin our whole place. AND on top of all of that, I can't sleep. For real. I don't/can't fall asleep until like 3 am. Doesn't matter how tired I am, lights on/off, t.v. on/off, reading on/off. It's rather frustrating. So I've been a walking/talking zombie amongst the chaos. Okay, sorry that turned into more than I expected...Onto the review!!Undone: Volume 2 starts RIGHT where Volume: 1 ends. Ash has gotten Ana to agree to a fake month long romance, where at the end she will "break his heart". And once Ana agrees, there is a whirlwind tour of their "epic" romance. As we follow Ash and Ana on their worldwide romance tour, we begin to see that their is more to these characters than meets the eye. We see the pressures and expectations that are on the shoulders of Ash, and we learn that there is so much more to Ana than just being a librarian. These two start to open up to each other about life away from the spotlight and what they each want out of their lives.But what happens when playing pretend no longer feels like a game? Ash wants Ana all to himself, but he can feel her pulling away as the reality that is his life starts to invade hers. What started out as an image rehab for rock star Ash Black is beginning to turn into so much more. Their time is together is being to run out. Can Ash show her that their time together doesn't have to end when their time runs out?Undone: Volume 3 review coming soon!!!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

**I received an ARC through GossipGirl PR in exchange for a honest review.**